By Lauren Emily Whalen
Maggie O’Farrell’s bestselling novel Hamnet is having a moment. An Oscar-nominated film reimagines William Shakespeare’s origin story through the eyes of his wife, Agnes “Anne” Hathaway, starring Paul Mezcal and Jessie Buckley. But an IP about the world’s most famous playwright belongs on the stage, right? Enter the Royal Shakespeare Company’s adaptation, now touring the US.
Despite a few excellent performances (including Kemi-Bo Jacobs as Agnes) and captivating technical elements, Hamnet tries too hard to relate to a modern audience, disregarding the 16th-century setting.
All of the beauty and an excess of heartbreak
In Stratford, England, teenage opposites attract: Latin tutor William (Rory Alexander) and suspected “witch” Agnes (Jacobs). Her pregnancy necessitates a hasty, but happy marriage and three children. William eventually moves to London to support the family as a successful playwright, but when a plague claims the life of his only son, Hamnet (Ajani Cabey), and Agnes is overcome with grief, one of William’s greatest works results.
The production’s visual aesthetic is undeniable: Tom Piper’s set consists of high wooden scaffolding that gradually expands as pieces and props are added, all maneuvered by cast members as the story unfolds. Ayse Tashkiran’s movement direction includes a particularly gorgeous sequence when two actors wrap Agnes in a length of gauzy white fabric to depict her first pregnancy.
However, Hamnet fails to captivate in Lolita Chakrabarti’s plodding adaptation, particularly in its contemporary takes on grief. Though plagues were (and are) devastating, they were also a fact of life in Renaissance England (William’s theater shuts down twice a year for plague season). William himself lost a sibling to an earlier plague. The tragic loss of a child was near-inevitable at this time, making Agnes’s frequent hysteria seem overwrought and, in some ways, anachronistic.
Released in 2020—the year of our modern-day plague—Hamnet has resonated deeply with literary and film audiences alike. Its theatrical adaptation, however, rings melodramatic: it wants the audience to feel deeply, but never quite gets there.
3 out of 5 stars
Fast facts: ‘Hamnet’
Visually captivating with moments of brilliance, the stage adaptation of Hamnet‘s modern approach to 16th-century loss never quite lands.
- Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 E. Grand Ave. on Navy Pier, Chicago
- Notable performers: Kemi-Bo Jacobs, Troy Alexander, Nigel Barrett
- Running time: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission
- Performances in Chicago through March 8, 2026, with the following tour dates:
Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington, DC, March 17-April 12, 2026
American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco, CA, April 22-May 24, 2026
It wants better content.
